University of Cincinnati College of Engineering and Applied Science | 2025 Dean's Report - Flipbook - Page 21
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING STUDENT THRIVES IN INTERNATIONAL CO-OP
FROM CO-OP TO CEO:
Miskovic’s 昀椀rst co-op job was in Columbus,
At Leoni, Miskovic held roles in manufacturing,
ALUMNUS ADDS TO THE VALUE OF CO-OP
Indiana, at Leoni Wiring Systems, a global
costing, and designing, contributing signi昀椀cantly
company specializing in wiring harnesses,
to the company’s operations. He also developed
Few understand the value of cooperative education quite like Jeremy
which are systems that run throughout
a training course for future international
Jarrett ‘95. As an aerospace engineering student at the University of
vehicles and relay information and electric
co-ops at Leoni, leaving a lasting legacy.
Cincinnati in the ‘90s, Jarrett worked as a co-op employee for a local
power to them. Miskovic went on to complete
His international experience underscored
all 昀椀ve of his co-op rotations at Leoni.
the importance of cultural understanding in
tech-consulting company, Kinetic Vision, that had just seven employees.
engineering.
Today, Jarrett still works at Kinetic Vision, which employs 200 people,
only now he is president and CEO.
His 昀椀nal two co-ops took him to Portugal.
Vladimir Miskovic ‘23 began playing
There, he was Leoni’s 昀椀rst co-op student.
After graduation in the spring of 2023,
American football as a high-schooler —
Despite challenges that came with being
Miskovic joined Leoni full-time as a resident
which was not a popular activity in his home
the company’s 昀椀rst-ever co-op employee in
engineer, liaising between design teams and
DOES A LOT FOR EMPLOYERS AND FOR STUDENTS TO MAKE SURE
country of Serbia — and the sport led him
Portugal, like the visa process, logistics, and
manufacturing plants worldwide.
THERE’S A PLAN TO FOLLOW. THAT MAKES IT SUCCESSFUL FOR THE
to the U.S. He moved to Cleveland to play
mastering Portuguese, Miskovic thrived,
EMPLOYERS AS WELL AS THE STUDENTS. AND THAT’S WHAT MAKES
football and, after graduating high school,
traveling across Europe and working
UC VERY SPECIAL.” – JEREMY JARRETT
decided to study mechanical engineering at
on international projects, including
the University of Cincinnati.
collaborations with Caterpillar in the UK.
“WHEN A PROGRAM IS MANDATORY, THAT MEANS THE UNIVERSITY
Jarrett and the company are fully invested in the co-op model, regularly
hiring UC co-op students for the last 30 years. The company fosters a
collaborative environment, allowing students to grow their skills while
contributing to real-world product development and innovative projects.
SHARING THE LEGACY OF CO-OP
It’s a common scene at long-time UC co-op
Matthews has worked on various hospital
partners like Turner Construction: CEAS co-op
construction projects across four co-op
students working directly with CEAS co-op
rotations, gaining hands-on experience far
alumni who now work full-time at the company.
beyond a typical internship. He’s making
a tangible impact, troubleshooting on-site
Andrew Matthews (left) found his passion
issues and actively implementing solutions
for construction management while working
to daily challenges.
as a co-op at Turner. He’s worked with many
UC alumni at the company, including Jalyn
“You learn a bunch during your semester
Stewart (right), a 2022 UC civil engineering
on co-op. You then come back to school,
graduate who was a Turner co-op before
take what you have learned and put
joining the company full-time. Turner has
it to use in the classroom. What’s
118 employees company-wide who graduated
taught in class helps you build
from UC.
your knowledge and prepare
for the next co-op,”
“We have a lot of co-op students who get
hired full time at Turner — it’s kind of the
norm,” Stewart said. “We really don’t see a
lot of people come in without co-op or
some previous experience.”
Matthews said.
